Refrigeration apparatus



Nov. 7, 1933.

L. ROEBEL REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed Nov. l, 1950 I Il IHIIIHHIIH IIMIIII lillllll HIHIIIIIIHI /n ved/0r Ludw/ Patented Nov. 7, 1933 REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Ludwig Roebel, Mannheim, Germany Application November 1, 1930, Serial No. 492,693, and in Germany December 5, 1929 7 Claims. (Cl. 62-115) My invention relates to improvements in refrigeration apparatus.

In the attempt to build reciprocating piston compressors which form a constituent part of a refrigerator, in which compressors there is no necessity to render the piston or -the crank shaft tight to the outside, 'different methods of construction have been developed which utilize the centrifugal force acting on the piston as the driving force. It is well known that the centrifugal force is evolved by giving the com- .,pressor cylinders a rotation Aabout two axes of which one is outside the cylinders and the other passes through the central position of the pistons. Thus the individual cylinders, being subjected to a rotation about their own axes, the centrifugal force set up is caused to act on the pistons alternately in each direction.

One embodiment of my invention differs from the various constructions already known in thatv the centrifugal force does not directly set the pistons in motion, but serves t give one of the parts of the. machine, preferably the compressor piston or compressor cylinder, a position which is constantly radial to the main axis, the relative motion of other parts to this position being used to drive an eccentric. The other Inachine parts to which this applies are the cylinders or pistons of the compressor.

My invention resides in the improved apparatus and method of operation of the character hereinafter described and claimed.

' For the purpose of illustrating my .invention, an embodiment thereof is shown in the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is an elevational View, partly in section, of refrigerating apparatus constructed and operated in accordance with my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, sectional view, illustrating a modification.

In Fig. 1, supporting structure 1 is built in the form of a disc and casing, and rotates about the shaft 2 at uniform speed. In the-casing of this supporting structure are connected one or more units (referred to hereinafter as refrigerators) which consist chiey of the compressor housing 3, the piston 4, the cylinder 5, the tube 6, the atomizing jet 7 and the vaporizer chamber 8, and which rotate independently about the shaft 2. Each refrigerator however rotates, as well, about its axis' 9, this motion being imparted to it by means of a gear wheel 10 which engages with the stationary pinion 11.

In accordance with the present invention,

the compressor piston is driven by means of an eccentric 12 keyed to the pipe 13. The movement by this eccentric is caused by the compressor cylinder 5, which is. loose on the pipe 13, being continuously compelled, by the cen- `trifugal force due to'its rotation about the shaft 2, to take up a position which is radial to the main shaft 2 as well as to the secondary axis of rotation 9, while the pipe 13, which is fixed to and is in effect integral with the housing 3 and the chamber 8, rotates about its own axis with the housing and chamber, and also revolves about the shaft 2. y

Fig. 2 shows a reversal of the arrangement shown in Fig. l, and illustrates the case in which the compressor piston 4, instead of the cylinder 5, 4is loose on the pipe 13 and is held by centrifugal force in a position which is always radial to the main axis of rotation 2, the compressor cylinder being loose on and given a reciprocating motion by the eccentric 12.

-The refrigerant is in both cases drawn from the evaporating chamber through the outer pipe 13 and the passage 14 in the cylinder wall, and is then compressed and forced through the flap valve l5 into the inside of the housing 3, from whence it reaches the evaporating chamber again by means .of the opening 16, the tube 6 and the atomizing nozzle 7. The refrigerating effect, produced at the outer surface of the evaporating chamber by the evaporation of the refrigerant, may be transferred in a known manner to the point where the cooling is to be done by means of any medium such as air or water.

The invention claimed is:

1. Refrigeration apparatus comprising structure sealed at all points over its outer surface against ingress of fluid to or egress of huid from its interior, means for compressing a refrigerant, a portion of said structure containing and providing a compression chamber for said compressing means, another portion of said structure constituting an evaporating chamber, said structure provided with a passage for admitting the compressed refrigerant from the compression chamber to the evaporating chamber, said structure provided with a passage for permitting return of the refrigerant from the evaporating chamber back to said compressing means, means supporting said structure for rotation about a given axis and for revolution bodily about another axis, and charactized by the fact that said compressing means comprises cylinder and piston members held against rotation about said given axis by centrifugal force developed incident to revolution of said structure bodily about said second-named axis.

2. Refrigeration apparatus comprising a selfcontained refrigerating unit comprising a compres'sor section and an evaporating section, means supporting said unit for rotation about a given axis and for revolution bodily about another axis, cylinder and piston members forming part of said compressor section, and characterized by thefact that said members are held against rotation about said given axis by the centrifugal force developed incident to revolution of said unit about said second-named axis.

3. In refrigeration apparatus, structure supported for rotation about a given axis and comprising a compressor section and an evaporating section and a pipe connecting said sections and xed for rotation therewith, refrigerant-compression means disposed within said compressor section and comprising a piston member and a cylinder member, said members supported by said pipe, an eccentric fixed on said pipe, one of said members being driven by said eccentric, and means supporting said structure for revolution bodily' about an axis distinct from the axis of rotation.

4. In refrigeration apparatus, a plurality of independently operable refrigerating units, and means common to said units and supporting the same for rotation about their respective longitudinal axes and for simultaneous revolution bodily about an axis disposed between said longitudinal axes, each -of said units including piston and cylinder members held against rotation about the longitudinal axis of the unit by centrifugal force developed incident to revolution of the unit bodily about the axis between said longitudinal axes.

5. In refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerating unit comprising a compressor chamber and an evaporating chamber and a pipe connecting said chambers, said unit supported for rotation about the axis of said pipe and for revolution bodily about another axis, an eccentric disposed within said compressor chamber and xed for rotation with said chambers and pipe, and cylinder and piston members disposed within said compressor chamber, the piston member being driven by said eccentric.

6. In refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerating unit comprising a compressor chamber and an evaporating chamber and a pipe connecting said chambers, said unit supported for rotation about the axis of said pipe and for revolution bodily about another axis, an eccentric disposed within said compressor chamber and fixed for rotation with said 'chambers and pipe, and cylinder and piston members disposed within said compressor chamber, the cylinder member being driven by said eccentric.

7. In refrigeration apparatus, structure supported for movement to develop a centrifugal force, a piston member anda cylinder member and an eccentric member elective'jointly to compress a refrigerant, said piston and cylinder members being arranged for control thereof by the centrifugal force developed.

LUDWIG ROEBEL. 

